The word ‘zodiac’ comes from Greek and means ‘circle of animals’. The only constellation that is not representative of a living thing is Libra, the sign of the Scales, but even its scales are taken from the stars of Scorpio, the giant scorpion in the sky next to it.
The deans of Gemini
Gemini, the sign of the celestial twins, is a mutable air sign and the third sign of the western zodiac, representing late spring to early summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
The planetary ruler of Gemini is Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun and representing all forms of communication, media, commerce, global commerce and travel.
The Gemini archetype
Representing all zodiac signs archetypesmeaning that something is considered a perfect or typical example of a certain kind of person or thing.
A zodiac sign paints a poetic portrait of a person born at a certain time of year, in a certain season.
A baby born in the summer will encounter a different physical environment than a winter baby; with differences in temperature, daylight hours, maternal diet during pregnancy, etc., with potentially different effects on the baby’s physical condition and constitution.
As a mutable sign, Gemini defines the boundary between the seasons, in this case late spring to early summer. The other mutable signs are Virgo and Pisces.
The Mutable signs are traditionally considered the most changeable and agile signs: inquisitive, analytical, logical and restless.
Nature is kind but cool, generous but changeable – quicksilver. The spirit of Gemini is personified in the ancient Greek god Hermes with his winged sandals and caduceus, a trading staff. The well-known delivery company of the same name probably chose this name for this reason.
In medical astrology, Gemini rules the arms and hands. The typical Gemini native has above average personal appearance, is handsome, attractive, usually slim and of average height or taller, and has neat, tidy facial features.
The Gemini is socially gifted, capable and quick to learn. They can also quickly lose interest and flutter like butterflies, and this sometimes extends to the way they behave with other people. Gemini picks them up, but then loses interest, or gets distracted and wanders off.
Gemini in the Tarot
The Tarot cards that belong to Gemini are The Lovers, The Knight of Swords and the 8, 9 and 10 Swords.
Card meanings: love, friendships, partnerships, agreements, contracts, difficult choices, decisions
Each suite in the Tarot has its own court with a king and queen, a knight and a page. The most important Court card associated with Gemini is the Knight of Swords.
Card Meanings: speed, action, forward movement, sudden developments, attack, assertiveness, intelligence, sudden news, cunning, calculation, good timing, preemptive strike, a confident, powerful young person, windy weather, east wind, motorcycle
The Deans
The minor arcana cards associated with Gemini are the Eight, Nine and Ten of Swords. These are the cards that correlate with the decans of Gemini. If you don’t feel like you’re a ‘typical’ Gemini, then we’re all unique, but you might also be a second or third decan Gemini native, rather than a ‘most typical’ first decan Gemini. But what is a Dean?
The word ‘Decan’ comes from Latin and means ‘ten’. Each zodiac sign lasts about 30 days and is further divided into three blocks of about 10 days each.
These are the decans or decanates, or as they are sometimes called the ‘thirty-six faces of astrology’, adding extra depth and nuance to the psychological profile associated with your zodiac sign, also known as your sun sign.
Gemini is still Gemini regardless of the decan, and this applies to all zodiac signs. But a premature Gemini is born under a slightly different planetary influence than a later born Gemini.
It’s all still Gemini, the same heavenly recipe, but with different amounts of common ingredients.
First Decan Gemini
(0-10 degrees from sign)
May 21-31
Card Meanings: Entrapment, uncertainty, a feeling of helplessness, waiting for rescue, there is a way out if you just open your eyes, look around and take a step forward.
This decan gets a double dose of the planetary influence of curious, rational Mercury. This is an alert, observant, intellectual and powerful personality. The insight is sharp. The negative side of this coin is that a Gemini native is equally curious, but also careless, flighty, forgetful, restless and unreliable.
First decan Gemini is a multi-talented juggler, light-footed, graceful and agile. But at the same time, they tend to develop strong views on a wide range of issues, and have a clearly defined belief system. For all their apparent volatility, they are also tough and resilient, even stubborn, a trait more commonly associated with Taurus, its neighbor and predecessor in the zodiac.
Gemini makes committed partners, contrary to what people may think. They will stick with it when the going gets tough, although they are prone to boredom and can quickly get tired of the routine; and have considerable charisma or sex appeal. But they know when they have a good thing, as long as there is enough social interaction and short distance travel to keep their restlessness in check.
Second Decan Gemini
(10-20 degrees from the board)
June 1-10
Card meanings: The Nightmare Card. Worry, anxiety, stress, sadness and insomnia are things that keep us awake at night.
The personal planet of this decan is Venus, the planet of love, beauty and money. This Gemini has charm and a generous and giving spirit.
The sub-ruler of this decan is Libra, ruled by Venus. Libra is the natural ruler of the seventh house of marriage, partnerships, close associates, associations and legal matters. This Gemini is more of an “I-too” than an “I-am” person compared to a first decan Gemini.
This Gemini native must be especially careful in the selection of companions/collaborators. The choice of a partner is of course of the utmost importance. This Gemini should especially avoid making big decisions about partner selection when they are too young to fully understand what they are doing.
These are easy-going and nice people. Gemini strives for change and Libra works to establish balance. Their Venus/Libra influence is their saving grace, as it makes them shrewd in their judgments and full of affection for those they judge.
Gemini’s 2nd decan is attracted to quiet, reserved people. Not only opposites attract, but also the dark side of life secretly fascinates Gemini-Libra. Gemini-Libra goes well with practical types who can get the job done with little fuss or excitement. A person who will ground, refine and implement Gemini-Libra.
People respond well to the warm and exuberant nature of the Second Decan Gemini. They also have a sense of adventure like the other decans, and they love to travel because it exposes them to new experiences. Sharing is part of Gemini-Libra life; they are generous with their time and friendship, as well as with possessions.
Gemini-Libra is a great company, with a lot of magnetism. They are friendly, sharp and witty. Don’t be surprised or upset if they disappear as suddenly as they appear, or if they go silent without warning. It’s not personal. It’s just them.
Third Decan Gemini
(20-30 degrees from the board)
June 11-20
Card meanings: Destruction, despair, betrayal, ruin, dark night of the soul, darkness before dawn, the only way is up.
The personal planets of the third decan Gemini are Saturn and Uranus, and paint a portrait full of contradictions. Sometimes this person is extremely careful, dutiful, responsible, serious and sometimes careless or even careless.
Uranus combined with the planet Mercury indicates an unusually active or even brilliant mind that may be on the borderline of genius. This person may be a thinker ahead of his time. Or maybe they’re just wacky.
Aquarius – natural ruler of the eleventh house of friends, hopes and wishes – makes this Gemini a social type, a friend-oriented individual interested in social matters.
This Gemini is an optimist, always interested in trying out what’s new, and never happier than when they’re on the road.
Life is never boring with a fun-loving Decan 3 Gemini around, but they are the most independent Gemini Decans. They need a lot of space and freedom, with a partner who makes little demands on their time and attention.
They work very hard when they put their minds to it. But keeping promises, keeping obligations and routines are not their strongest points. It’s a mistake for this Gemini native to marry early or settle down too quickly.
Adventure, exploration and experimentation with ideas, people and places: this is what it’s all about. This is their thing.
Famous Gemini people: Carl Linnaeus, Peter the Great, Adam Smith, Richard Wagner, Arthur Conan Doyle, John Maynard Keynes, John F Kennedy, Frank Lloyd Wright, Boris Johnson. Johnny Depp, Queen Victoria, Charles 11, George 111, George V, Donald Trump, Gaddafi, Angelina Jolie, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Happy birthday, Gemini 2022
This year may have gotten off to a slow start personally, but the second half of the year requires you to identify goals and put a clear focus on finances and your safety.
This is a good year to meet a new partner and start a new life together, but this also means that this is the year for the free and easy-going Gemini to demonstrate efficiency, become more serious and take good care of their resources to pay attention, upgrade their nest and invest in nest eggs. Expect major developments in August and October.
More information about the Decans:
